


Tacticians Don't Take Sick Days

by MontyBeth



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 17:09:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17922923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MontyBeth/pseuds/MontyBeth
Summary: When Robin comes down with a fever, Chrom is responsible for making sure she rests. Between her stubborn nature and toddler Lucina's antics, he takes a moment to reflect on their relationship. (Domestic fluff and realistic toddler dialogue, what more do you want?)





	Tacticians Don't Take Sick Days

One of Chrom's favorite things about waking up next to his beloved wife was the way she felt curled up next to him. Her body heat was comforting, and some mornings they found themselves too comfy to move for a few moments.

This particular morning though, the soft warmth of Robin felt more like burning embers. He was awake immediately, and shot up in bed, checking on her. She was visibly sweating, and though fast asleep, there was a grimace on her face.

Chrom's heart fell as he laid a hand on her forehead. She was burning up - and seemed in great pain. He froze for a minute, pondering whether it would be better to wake her up or go and fetch help first. He thought of her pride (and rather short nightgown) and decided to at least get her wrapped up and with a cool cloth on her forehead.

"Robin -" he touched her shoulder, shaking her gently. "Robin, wake up."

She began to stir, opening one eye. She immediately groaned. "I feel like I've been trampled by a horse."

Chrom cracked a weary smile. "You've got a high fever. I'm going to go get a cool cloth. Stay there."

Robin didn't seem willing to argue. She closed her eyes again, curling up in the blankets. "I'm so cold."

Chrom darted into the other room, returning with a soaked cloth. He laid it on her forehead, gritting his teeth. "You need to take off those blankets," he said apologetically. "You're going to overheat."

Robin struggled to sit up in bed, wiggling out of her blanket cocoon. "This is the worst."

"I know." Chrom responded, covering her with a lighter sheet. "But I'm going to get Lissa, she'll know what to do." He kissed her on the cheek before darting out of the room, still barefoot.

"Thank you, Chrom." Robin muttered. She closed her eyes.

She opened them again as she felt the cool compress being removed from her forehead. Lissa hovered above her, concern on her face. "Yep, definitely a high fever." Even her serious voice was still chipper.

"Can you fix me up, Doc?" Robin cracked.

"I can try." Lissa replied. "I've got the herbs, but you still need a full day of rest and plenty of fluids. You're lucky you've got Chrom and I to take care of you, because this is going to take you out of commission for a full two days at least."

"Two days?" Robin demanded. "I can't - Tacticians don't take sick days!" she paused. "...and mothers don't take sick days either! What about Lucina?"

Chrom gently pushed her back down to the pillow. "The only battle you need to worry about is the one happening in your body."

Lissa produced a bundle of powdered herbs. Robin swallowed them with a glass of water. "Ugh, these are bitter."

"Yes, but they're going to heal you. Now, feed a fever, starve a cold. Get some food in her, Chrom." Lissa ordered. "And make sure she stays in bed."

"Sure thing, Lissa." Chrom agreed, and Lissa handed him another bundle of herbs before leaving, scooting past Frederick in the doorway.

"Milord." He greeted Chrom. Robin couldn't help but chuckle as Chrom stood to attention, barefoot and wearing his nightclothes. 

"Uh... Frederick. I'm sorry, I'm running late this morning." Chrom apologised. "Robin isn't feeling well."

Robin hid her head with the pillow. "Don't look at me, Frederick." she groaned. "I'm miserable."

Frederick nodded slowly. "I'll have the kitchen prepare some soup. I've already rescheduled your meetings." He turned to leave before adding, "and Princess Lucina is up and causing trouble early this morning."

"How much trouble can a 3 year old get into this early?" Chrom wondered outloud.

Robin's laughter dissolved into coughs.

As it turns out, a lot of trouble. Now finally dressed and ready to take on the day, Chrom found two of the castle's maids gently shooing Lucina out of the library.

"Daddy!" she cried as she saw Chrom turn the corner. She toddled over and Chrom scooped her up. 

"What were you doing in there, little one?" he asked. Lucina held out her hand. A sticky piece of bright yellow chalk tumbled out.

"Were you... coloring?" he asked, gritting his teeth. Lucina nodded. "On the books?" he winced.

She nodded again. "Drew a pegas- pega-" her toddler face wrinkled as she couldn't pronounce the word. "Flying horsie."

"A pegasus." he sounded out. "Let's find you something else to color on, okay? The books already have pictures so we leave those ones alone." 

Lucina shook her head and wiggled to get down. "Wanna play," she explained. "I wanna play with mama." she paused, her little toddler brain working out the problem with this desire. "Where's mama?"

Chrom took her least sticky hand, leading her away from the library. It was a slow effort. "Your mama is actually sick today, so we're going to bring her some soup."

Lucina nodded solemnly. It was funny, Chrom noted, how quickly she became serious. Well, serious for a little girl who hadn't mastered walking.

As it was still early, Chrom swung by the kitchens, where he looked in to see that soup had, in fact been prepared. He quietly filled two larger bowls for himself and Robin and a little bowl for Lucina. The cooks glanced among themselves, unaccustomed to seeing their king so casual.

He and Lucina brought the tray back to the bedroom, where Robin appeared to be curled completely under the sheets. Chrom set the tray down on the side table, plopping an ice cube in Lucina's bowl before setting her down with it.

Soup for breakfast. He laughed to himself. Why not?

He made his way to the lump under the covers. "Lucina and I brought you some soup," he explained. There was no response. He decided to let her sleep, but first wanted to check and see if her temperature had gone down. He pulled down the sheet.

Robin wasn't in the bed at all. The lump under the covers had been made entirely of blankets.

He cursed under his breath before glancing to see if Lucina had heard him. Robin would kill him if their daughter started swearing at three years old. 

Lucina blinked back at him. "Where's mama?" she asked again.

"I'm going to go find her," he tried to keep his voice calm. While it was most likely that Robin had simply snuck out of bed to perform her typical duties, the thought of a kidnapping couldn't escape his mind.

Robin was weak and defenceless right now. What if she had been poisoned by a foreign representative, with something that would mimic a fever? Then foreign troops swept in while he was gone and -

"Mama!" Lucina called.

Chrom snapped out of his fear-filled thoughts to see Frederick in the doorway, a pouty Robin flung over his shoulder.

"Ah, darling husband." She grinned sheepishly. 

"Robin, you're supposed to stay in bed." Chrom scolded.

"I know, I know - but I have things to do and -" she paused. "Frederick, can you put me down?"

Frederick raised an eyebrow at Chrom, who sighed. "Please."

Frederick did so, setting Robin on her feet. Chrom noticed she'd managed to throw on her mage robes over her nightgown.

"I only went to the library." she insisted. "I need to study up."

"Did you see your daughter's artwork?" Chrom asked.

"I did. They were lovely cows Lucina, but next time let's draw on our own paper instead of ancient tomes."

Lucina seemed confused. "Not cow, pega- pega- pegasus." She seemed proud of herself. Chrom gave her a thumbs up. Lucina held out her soup bowl. "Have soup for you." She stated. "Mama sick."

"Oh, thanks sweetie." Robin smiled. She began to walk towards the bowl on the bedside table, before she gasped as her legs gave out. Frederick caught her and she leaned on his arm and groaned.

"You're a perfect gentleman." She muttered through gritted teeth. 

"The last thing I want to do is lock the Queen in a tower like some kind of fairy tale." Chrom chided gently as he steered her back towards the bed.

"Especially if the only knight to save me is a narc like Frederick." she muttered back. "This soup does smell delicious."

"Courtesy of your narc in shining armor." Chrom teased back. "I'll bring you up some books from the library. Make me a list."

"Chrom -" Robin grabbed his arm, and he leaned down. "I love you. You didn't have to do any of this for me."

"I do it because I love you, Robin. And I want to see you healthy again. So eat your soup before I motherbird it into you."

Robin gasped. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

"You're gross." Robin laughed.

Frederick cleared his throat, and Chrom thanked and dismissed him. Robin began to eat her soup.

They ate in relative silence, enjoying each other's company and the occasional babble of nonsense from Lucina, who toddled around her parents' room finding things to play with.

"This kingdom really depends on you." Chrom murmured, setting Robin's empty bowl on the nightstand. He drew her in close, shrugging the heavy coat off her shoulders.

"Don't sell yourself short, Chrom. You're the leader this kingdom needs." Robin shivered a bit and she settled into the comfort of her husband, resting on his chest. "I really am miserable right now," she sighed.

"Nonsense." Chrom kissed her forehead. She was still warm against his lips. "You're incredibly strong."

"...Even if I feel like I've fallen off the back of a wyvern?"

"Especially then."

Robin relaxed into him again, and closed her eyes. Chrom could have stayed there forever, holding her against him. They had been through a lot, the two of them. From meeting her, an amnesiac in a field, to turning the tide of the war, to losing her to the Fell Dragon. He took her hand in his, running over the unmarked skin where that awful mark had once resided.

To finding her again, after six months of searching. How even as tears filled his eyes he had managed to crack a joke about taking a nap. 

He loved her with all his heart, more than he even thought possible. It was sort of funny, sincd they weren't terribly romantic, the two of them. Sure, they had moments like this, holding each other close, or times when he'd quite literally sweep her off her feet and laugh like fools. But there was no flowery language or courting beyond stammered words and wildflowers.

Robin was the love of his life, but beyond that, she was his friend.

She was fast asleep now, her chest rising and falling in measured breaths. With reluctance, Chrom noted he had to attend to his own duties. He glanced around for Lucina, his heart rate picking up as he didn't spot her.

He got up as silently as possible, resting Robin's head onto a pillow. 

He checked first under the bed, then made his way to their wardrobe. Throwing it open, Lucina gave a little squeal.

"What are you doing, sweetheart?" Chrom asked. Lucina held out her hand to Chrom. Pressed inside was one of Robin's chess pieces, the queen. As Chrom took it from her, he could feel lukewarm soup leak from it. He tried not to grimace.

"You were sharing your soup with the queen, huh?" Chrom asked her.

Lucina looked confused. She placed her tiny hands on Chrom's, examining the piece. "Queen?" she clarified.

"I think you're a little too young for chess," Chrom murmured. "This piece is called the queen. See her crown?"

Lucina's dark eyes seemed fixated on the small dark wooden piece. She ran a finger over the crown on the queen piece, her other hand going up to her own head.

Realization flashed through Chrom's mind. "You've worn a crown like this before, is that what you're remembering?"

Lucina nodded and placed a hand on her chest thoughtfully. "I a queen."

Chrom couldn't bring himself to correct her grammar. A huge smile crossed his face. She was so cute he couldn't help himself. "Someday. Right now you're a princess. Your mama's a queen though, and the best one ever."

He looked back to Robin, who stirred slightly, but didn't seem to wake. Even though her white-blonde hair was an absolute mess, she looked like a sleeping angel.

He lowered his voice, shushing Lucina. "Let's let her sleep, okay? Why don't we go draw a pegasus?"

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes self care is writing a piece about a 5 year old video game. Chrom/Robin continues to be one of my favorite relationships in FE. While some people complain about the lack of actual romance, I think it's really cute. This is my first fic here on AO3 (I was on fanfiction ages ago) so please do leave a review if you enjoyed this!


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